


Where You Lead

by Gayeld



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arranged Marriage, Dubious Consent, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-12-14 19:50:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21021314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gayeld/pseuds/Gayeld
Summary: The Freys are demanding Arya Stark from the Brotherhood Without Banners in order to marry her to Elmar Frey. When the BWB refuse to oblige them, they realize some choices must be made to protect Arya.-- I stole this from a broken link. That's not broken anymore.





	Where You Lead

**Author's Note:**

  * For [M_nancywheeler](https://archiveofourown.org/users/M_nancywheeler/gifts), [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts), [the_truth_is_in_the_tooth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_truth_is_in_the_tooth/gifts).

> **Long Ass Author’s Note:** Somewhere around the end of season 7 I found an interesting summary for a story I hadn’t read on Tumblr. I also found a broken link. So, I googled it and found – broken links. I tried the Wayback Machine and got – a broken link. At which point I decided “fuck broken links, I’ll write it myself”. Only, I’m a flake who’s easily distracted and by the time I got around to picking the story back up and finishing the first chapter, there was a story summary that looked an awful lot like it might be the original one popping up on AO3 under a different author name. And now I can’t read it because I’m writing this. *sigh*  
So, I’d like to thank **thesunflowermachine** (former direwolfmaid) for being a great sport about my using her summary even though she’s reposted her story. (You can find it now on AO3 as “What Fire Joins”.)  
I also really want to thank**JenRK** for keeping me on track, but not giving me too much grief for picking this back-up when I’m supposed to working on God’s Grief. And **RoziCanuti** for pulling a last minute beta out of the hat.  
Any errors are mine (and probably result from my panic editing as I'm posting it.  
You've seen the Summary I found. These are the warnings that were on the recommendation page with it: **Underage, Arranged Marriage, Dubious Consent.** Pay attention to these, I did.  
This is what I did with that.

It’s been a long day and there’s nothing Jeyne wants more than to shoo the last of the orphans off to bed and fall into her tired old mattress. Harwin bursting through the front door of the Inn and looking around wildly, though, tells her that the Gods aren’t planning on granting her wish.

“Where’s Lady Arya?”

She can’t help glancing over at her sister before answering. They both know who the angry girl that calls herself Nan is, but neither of them’s ever known Harwin to admit to it before. “Up in the attic. She was out early, hunting, this-”

But Harwin’s gone, off up the stairs before Jeyne can finish. Willow disappears just as quick, out the backdoor to tell the blacksmith, like as not.

Willow makes it back just before Harwin, Gendry trailing behind her and looking anxiously around the room. “What’s wrong?”

Jeyne can only shake her head. “Harwin didn’t say nothing except to ask where your Lady was.”

“She’s not my La—”

“You’re damn right, she’s not. Get back to your forge, boy.” Harwin’s back, dragging an angry looking Lady Arya behind him as he comes down the stairs. “It’s no nevermind of yours.”

Jeyne doesn’t know what all’s happened between Gendry and Harwin, only that the girl is never far away when their arguments breakout and try as he might, Harwin’s never been able to separate Gendry from her for long. One way or another, they always find their way back to one another.

“It is if it’s got something to do with Arya.” Gendry’s scowls are enough to make most men think twice, but Harwin just pushes past him and makes for the backdoor of the Inn.

“Let go!” The lady startles them both when she yanks her wrist free from Harwin’s grip and steps closer to Gendry. “I told you, I’m not going unless you tell me what’s wrong."

“Milady, please—” Harwin reaches for her again, but Gendry steps between them.

“She said she’s not going with you.”

“And I told you this is none of your-”

“Stop it! Both of you,” Jeyne scolds. “You’re acting more like children than they are.” She points to the group of wide-eyed orphans staring at them from the hearth. “Whatever this is, you settle it outside.”

Harwin’s brought up short by the sight of the children, probably realizing he’s already spoken too freely in front of them. “Milady, please. Lord Beric will explain everything, but we need to leave now.”

Jeyne watches as the girl shares a long look with Gendry, some silent agreement passing between them, before they both follow Harwin out into the dark.

Thoros curses softly when he sees the boy stepping through the broken doorway after Harwin and the girl. What did that R’hllor damned fool Harwin think he was doing? They all knew how hard it was going to be to get the girl to agree with this. Bringing the boy along would only make things thrice as hard.

“Harwin. Lady Arya.” Thoros nods to Anguy, who disappears further back into the crumbling holdfast to fetch Beric.

“Don’t call me that!”

Thoros feels a brief stab of sympathy for the girl. She’s going to hate them all for this.

When Beric finally appears, Thoros can see the same knowledge in Beric’s eyes before he turns a gentle smile on the girl. “Hello, Lady Arya, thank you for joining us on such short notice.”

Thoros can see the mistrust in the girl’s eyes. She’s never forgiven either of them for keeping her from her mother and kingly brother, never caring that it would have meant her death if she’d been reunited with them.

“Why am I here?” the girl demands, sounding just like the highborn lady she claims not to be.

“If we could talk in private, my lady-”

Thoros knows it’s no use, as Beric should as well. The boy’s already proven he won’t be separated from the girl. She’s never been any better when it comes to that, keeping the boy just as close as he keeps her.

“Just tell me what it is.” Sure enough, she steps closer to the boy, glancing back to make sure he’s near while she waits for what they both know is going to be bad news.

Beric looks to Thoros for help, but there’s nothing he can do but shrug his shoulders and wish his old friend good fortune in the war that’s sure to come.

“It’s the Freys, Lady Arya. They’ve somehow learned that the girl in Winterfell is a fraud and the real Arya Stark is somewhere in the Riverlands.” Beric takes a deep breath to prepare himself for the rest. “They’ve demanded that you be turned over to them to fulfill the betrothal your mother and King Robb made.”

The girl’s laughter is the last response anyone expects, desperate and unhinged as it sounds. “Have they lost their minds? I’d rather die than marry a Frey.”

The boy flinches at her words and reaches for her arm. “Don’t talk like that.”

“Why not? It’s true. I’d run myself through with Needle before I’d let a Frey touch me.” She turns her sharp gaze on Beric, and Thoros can feel the winter winds even as he stands next to the fire. “Are you planning on selling me to them? That is what you do with your hostages, isn’t it? Sell them to the highest bidder.”

“I assure you, my lady, we plan no such thing.” Beric looks almost as stricken at the boy at her words. “But something must be done to protect you and the people of the Riverlands.”

“What do the people of the Riverlands have to do with it?” Gendry asks, holding tight to the girl’s arm, like he’s afraid the Freys might sweep into the old holdfast and snatch her away before his eyes.

Anguy steps out of the shadows and dips his head at the girl. “The Freys have been raiding villages. Anywhere they think might be friendly to the Brotherhood. They’re burning homes, killing livestock and making it clear that this won’t stop until the little lady is turned over to them.”

Thoros sees fear, for the first time, in the girl’s eyes as she reaches for the hand on her arm. “What do you mean to do?”

“We mean to see you safely away from the Riverlands before taking the fight to the Freys.” Beric promises.

“Safely away?” the boy snaps, looking half ready to take the girl and make a run for it. “Where the hell is safely away? Can you tell me that? Where’s she going to go that someone’s not going to find out who she is? Someone that will sell her to the Freys. Or the Lannisters. She’s safer here with-with the Brotherhood.”

“The Freys are only interested in her claim to Winterfell. Once she’s wed and away from-”

_“WED?_ Wed? I’m not _wedding_ anyone.” The girl turns on her heels and starts for the broken doorway, dragging the boy behind her, until Harwin steps up to block her way.

“Milady, listen to reason.” Harwin reaches for the girl’s shoulders, but she moves away from him, pulling the boy closer as her eyes scan the room for opening. “I know this something you never wanted, but it’s for the good of everyone and Edric is a good lad. He’ll be kind to you and-”

“Edric? Dayne?” Gendry scoffs. “That ponce?”

“Someone else you’d rather see her wed to, boy?” Thoros watches the way the boy flushes. “You perhaps?”

“I-no-I-I’d rather see her left be.” The boy looks down at his feet. “She’s told you, she doesn’t want to wed anyone.”

“Well, I’m afraid she doesn’t have much of a choice in the matter.” Beric approaches the girl slowly, like the rapid wolf she is. “Both you and the people of the Riverlands need protecting and we can’t chance the Freys getting their hands on Winterfell. Harwin and Lem will ride out to get Edric. They’ll meet you at Acorn Hall in a fortnight and see you and Edric wed.”

The girl just stands there, looking angry and stunned, as Harwin dips his head to her and disappears into the night. The boy looks at her for a moment, before whispering something into her ear and following after Harwin.

Gendry feels sick to his stomach. This can’t be happening. He’s not ready for this. Not to see Arya wed to the stupid little lordling nor sent away to Dorne. There has to be some way to stop this.

“What do you want, boy?”

Harwin doesn’t bother hiding his contempt now that Arya’s not around to see, but Gendry doesn’t care. Not what Harwin thinks of him, nor anyone else. The only thing that matters is keeping Arya safe. “We can’t take Arya to Acorn Hall.”

“We can’t? And why’s that, boy?” Harwin steps around Gendry and starts for the horse.

“Because Beric just told everyone that’s where she’s going.” A plan is starting to form in Gendry’s head, it’s stupid and risky, but if it’ll give him even a few more days with Arya he has to try it. “Someone had to tell the Freys about Arya. Someone in the Brotherhood. No one else knows who she is. It’s not safe to take her there now.”

Harwin slows and turns to look back at him. “What do you propose we do?”

“Let me take her to Stone Hedge. Me and Tom and however many Beric wants to send along.” He’s rambling, he knows he is, but he can’t stop himself. “It’s in the same direction as Acorn Hall, if anyone watches us go. We can keep off the main paths most of the way there. If we see any trouble, we’ll go on past it and head to Stony Sept instead. No one should be looking for her at The Peach.”

Harwin eyes him for a long moment and Gendry’s sure the man’s going to call his bluff before he nods slowly. “Don’t you make me regret this, boy.”

“I swear, I’m only trying to do what’s best for Arya.” He watches as Harwin mounts his horse and catches up to Lem, waits until they’re out of sight before heading back into the ruins.

Arya’s standing in the shadows, looking lost and angry, and all he wants to do is wrap her in his arms and take her as far from here as he can. It’s not right, how he feels about her, she still little more than a girl and a highborn lady at that, but he can’t help loving her. She’s the only family he’s ever known and he’s not going to lose her, not yet. Not ever if he can help it.

“What’d you talk to Harwin about?” She’s trying not to look scared, but he can see how tightly she’s gripping the edges of her tunic and the way her eyes keep darting to the exit behind him.

“I told him I didn’t think it was safe to take you to Acorn Hall,” He steps closer to her, keeping his words low and his back to the rest of the Brotherhood.

“So, where are we going?”

“The Quiet Isle.”


End file.
